Abstract

This research aims at investigating the role played by ‘Elaboration’, being an input modification strategy, in enhancing EFL reading comprehension. It further aims at identifying the effect of gender, if any, on using this strategy by finding a suitable answer to the question whether male or female students will get more benefit in enhancing the comprehension of lexical items at the sentential level. Based on these aims, the following research questions are addressed: 1- Is there any relation between the use of elaboration strategy and improving EFL university students’ reading comprehension? 2- Is there any relation between students’ gender and the use of elaboration strategy as far as improving reading comprehension is concerned? To answer these questions, a sample of 80 EFL students (40 males and 40 females) was given a self-report test, prepared by the researcher, and initially validated through distribution to a panel of juries and then piloted to a number of EFL university students, to state their responses on the basis of a scale ranging from ‘ nothing’ to ‘everything’. The results show that elaboration strategy is a good strategy for enhancing EFL students achievement in reading comprehension. There are also significant differences observed in the use of elaboration strategy in terms of students gender as better achievement in reading comprehension is noticed on the part of female students using the elaboration strategy.